Reclaimed Memories
ca. 1926

roy and I were married in a simple single ring ceremony at my parents' home in Parkersburg, on July 4, 1926, six weeks after my graduation from high school. The only example I have of my father's writing is his name as a witness on our wedding certificate.



We stayed at my brother Gotthart's home the next two nights. Since the 4th came on Sunday, that year the big celebration was held the next day at the City Park, which we enjoyed. The fireworks were the most elaborate we had ever seen. In fact they were the first real display we had experienced and there were many oohs, ahs, shouting and other expressions of wonder and excitement from the large crowd gathered there.

We took the train to Junior and stopped for a one day and night visit with Troy's relatives and friends in town. It seemed to me that everyone he introduced me to was related to him by blood or marriage. All four of his grandparents lived there and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.

That night we slept in Bland's bed, which was in the living room of the house. It was not at all uncommon in those days for the living room to also be used as a bedroom, if needed. I do not remember where Bland slept. I do remember vividly that Lois, Troy's half-sister, was very fussy that evening. She was not quite three years old. Troy's dad, who had a good voice, rocked and sang her to sleep. One of the songs he sang was about a little gray kitty that was lost.

We went on to Elkins the next day, rented a sleeping room for $12.00 a month and Troy immediately went back to work at the restaurant where he had worked before going to Pennsylvania. Here he was to get $40.00 a month and all meals for both of us. After we paid the room rent we had just nine cents left and it was all in pennies. We have done right well for we still have those nine original pennies, several of them Indian heads. I was able to supplement our earnings by sewing. I soon had all I could do at fifty cents a dress for children in preparation for school. I did quite a lot of sewing for Troy's cousins and for the family of children who lived next door to where we roomed.

The family where we roomed were named "Goley." They had a married daughter and one at home. Helen was fourteen years old at that time. (We still keep in touch with her. She is a retired teacher and lives in Orlando. When we moved to the parsonage in Elkins, in 1945, we were surprised to find that Mrs. Goley had died and that Mr. Goley, Helen and her husband had moved in the house next to the parsonage. Howard was ten years old at that time and Mr. Goley was very fond of him. He thought Howard was so mature for his age. The Goleys were Presbyterians. One day Howard came home and told us that Mr. Goley said that the Presbyterians did not have much to do with politics or religion. He was an astute old gentleman.)

We had a carefree time for almost three months after our marriage. We were good friends with Troy's first cousin, Hazel Knaggs, and her boy friend, "Sparky" White. Sparky had a Ford car and they invited us to go somewhere almost every evening after work. One Sunday they wanted to go to Blackwater Falls. Troy had to work but the three of us took a picnic lunch and went. That was my first trip to the Falls, but we have had many over the years. It made such a nice all day trip for guests who visited us while we were in Singers Glen, after our retirement.

After almost three months in Elkins, Troy had not found work that showed promise, and I was about to die of homesickness, so the last of September we returned to my home in Parkersburg. On October 19th he went to work in the factory of the Vitrolite Company in Vienna, which was five miles northeast of Parkersburg. The street car line ran from Parkersburg through Vienna and on to Williamstown, which is just across the Ohio River from Marietta, Ohio.

NEXT - AKRON, OHIO